My Favorite Sunscreen

One glance at my complexion will tell you that my boating roots are more likely tied to Viking rather than Mediterranean explorers. It’s not easy to have Nordic skin and hang out at marinas and aboard open boats all day in South Florida, but that’s exactly what I do during the Miami International Boat Show, set this year for February 11 to 15. I sometimes wear a hat, but there’s no hiding from UV reflected off the water.

Thank God for sunscreen. I use it religiously, and over the years have become a connoisseur of the best formulations, particularly for the face, when working under Florida’s sweltering sun. I have field tested dozens of formulas and finally found one that out performs everything else. If it works for me, it will work for anyone.

Before I reveal my top pick, there’s something I have to get off my chest. I detest it when people whom I barely know feel compelled to say, “You better wear some sunscreen or you’ll get burned.”

They are trying to be helpful, I know. But really, do they think they’re telling me something new? I’ve been living in this skin my entire life, and I think by now I’ve learned how to take care of it.

If I sound defensive, maybe I am, especially as I slather on sunscreen while watching a tanned boater enjoying the show without a worry about getting sunburned. In the immortal words of the character Doc Holiday in the movie Tombstone, “I am sure of it. I hate him.”

However, I do not hate sunscreen, and only wish it was around when I was younger. It might have saved me thousands of dollars in dermatologist bills later in life. So what’s my favorite sunscreen? Drum roll, please.

Neutrogena Sport Face ($9.99/2.5 oz. tube, target.com) is an oil-free broad spectrum sunscreen lotion that has a 70-plus SPF rating. I put it on before I go out and re-apply about half-way through the day, and have never had a serious burn. Just as importantly, it resists sweat, so it won’t drip away as do other sunscreens. That’s important when it’s 90 degree F and 90 percent relative humidity.

Now you can go to the show and feel the excitement without feeling the burn.